In recognition of January as National Mentoring Month, Culture of CARE is sharing stories from Manson personnel about their experiences with mentorship.
An influential mentor can have the power to change the course of a mentee’s professional journey. Inclusiveness and diverse positive roles at the workplace improve retention of valuable talent, new recruitment, trust, and a safer work environment for all.
KEN QUINONES
When I was hired as an Administrative Assistant for the Survey Department, I had zero knowledge of hydrographic surveying and dredging. My background was in civil construction, so I was at a bit of a disadvantage. Luckily, Ken Quinones had a wealth of knowledge and experience in hydrographic surveying and dredging.
Ken explained everything to me and taught me the difference between the different types of dredges, survey boats, single-beam & multi-beam echo sounders, sound velocity profilers, dozer grade control systems, RTK base stations, and even how our GPS receivers and antennas communicate with satellites. He was able to break everything down in a way that was easy to understand and always provided diagrams to help explain the concept. Ken was always willing to answer my questions as he never made me feel silly for asking him to explain something.
There are several attributes that make for a good mentor:
Mentors want to share relevant knowledge and expertise
Mentors display positivity and enthusiasm
Mentors possess the ability to provide honest and constructive feedback
Mentors exhibit active listening skills
Mentors show eagerness to invest in others
In the five years that I have worked with Ken, I have observed him display these attributes daily with our team members and engineers that are lucky enough to do a Training Work Assignment (TWA) rotation in the Survey department. Ken always displays positivity and enthusiasm in all aspects of his work. He enjoys the opportunity to share his surveying knowledge with other Manson team members to help them succeed and takes the time to provide “coaching moments” to help team members improve their performance and maximize their potential.
Thank you, Ken!
Submitted by: Jacqueline Parenteau, Administrative Assistant
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